I am so honored and flattered to have the Organic Garden Seed Kit offered in Anthropologie’s well curated mix of products for the holidays. They are available online and in select stores. I am donating a portion of the sales of the Garden Seed Kit to the Children’s Beanstalk Garden as I mentioned here a few weeks ago. Take a peek at more of their great garden offerings here and also peruse other categories on their site for more holiday inspiration.

Thank you to all of you who supported me in the handcrafted production of this Seed Kit!!!!

FINALLY … this year we had elderberries to eat from our backyard and they were so good picked straight from the shrub. Unfortunately, we had a tree fall on one of them, so not sure we can save it for next year. We don’t really have enough yet to make many recipes, but planning to try out this recipe for an elderberry shrub. Elderberry is great for boosting immunity, so lucky us they ripen just as school is beginning and germs are swarming. We also buy this elderberry syrup Sambucol, that’s great for boosting immunity and soothing sore throats, and have found a local kansas company, Wyldewood Cellars, that makes an elderberry concentrate that we also love.

Explore growing some elderberry shrubs in your own yard or forage for some in the wild. (just be sure to know the difference between elderberries and toxic berries. Eating them when fully ripe and cooking them first is also advised). They are very easy to care for, but usually don’t produce fruit for a couple of years after planting.

We have been having gorgeous weather lately and perfect for working in the garden. This is the first year we’ve planted kohlrabi, (or baseballs, what the boys have named them), and wow I wish I would have planted more than 8. It has been a favorite at our house lately and I’ve prepared it a few different ways. All of them have been raw since my kids prefer most of their vegetables in that fashion.

One simple way to enjoy kohlrabi for the first time is to take the leaves off (which, by the way, you can cook the same way as kale or collard greens, or chop finely to add to a coleslaw). Peel the tough outer peel off and then cut into matchsticks. Add a little sea salt and enjoy alone, dipped in hummus, or as a topping for a lettuce wrap.

Add all ingredients together and serve with chips or use as a topping for tacos. If you allow the salsa to sit for a couple of hours the flavors mingle and get tastier. This recipe makes just over a cup of salsa so feel free to double the amount. I only had one tomato at the time, otherwise I usually make more to feed our small army.

A QUICK PICKLED KOHLRABI

One Kohlrabi sliced into matchsticks

1/2 c. of brown rice vinegar

1/4 c. of water

1/4 c. of honey (we have also tried maple syrup as a sweetener and it is also delicious)

3 t. sea salt

2 t. of dill seed

DIRECTIONS

Set aside the sliced kohlrabi. Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add Kohlrabi to the mixture and let sit for a few hours in the refrigerator. These are easy and so much better than store bought dill pickles. You can also use this pickling mixture with cucumbers.

one more way …

cut kohlrabi into matchsticks and cut melon or cantaloupe into matchsticks, add a few leaves of chopped basil, drizzle with a little olive oil, honey, and sea salt. YUM!!

Next up … we are going to try out a tzatziki, made with kohlrabi instead of cucumbers.